State PBA to President Obama: Don't be Fooled by Camden County Police Numbers

The New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association is warning President Barack Obama that he has been misled on the transformation taking place in Camden as a result of the Camden County Police Department replacing the City police force two years ago.

In the letter, State PBA President Pat Colligan warns the president that the history behind the creation and reporting on the Camden Police Department violates many of the principles he has fought to uphold throughout the nation.

“Mr. President, you have been misled by public relations spin and misreporting of crime statistics to believe that the Camden County Metro Police is a success,” Colligan wrote. “This police department was created by union busting tactics with the full collusion of Governor Christie and local leaders who, when crime spiked after massive officer layoffs, blamed the remaining officers instead of themselves.”

Over the weekend, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the Camden County Police Department’s turnover is the highest in the state, with 120 officers resigning or retiring.

The PBA echoed the report’s claims that the turnover is due to “poor pay, working conditions and the lack of facts being told about what is really going on in Camden.”

The president’s Principal Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz addressed concerns with the police department’s status shortly after the president arrived in the region Monday afternoon.

“We think Camden does have a remarkable story of making significant success,” Schultz said. “They are not done. There’s still a lot of work to be done. … We are fully aware of the challenges they face on the ground and the progress they’ve made…. They’ve improved the environment by which the public can register complaints and also broadened the definition of excessive force to capture more complaints. Part of what we’ll be talking about is increased transparency and increased accountability.

“Overall violent crime statistics show dramatic improvement in Camden since 2012.”

The Camden County Police Department was established in 2013 through an agreement between the State, County and City of Camden.

The PBA pointed out that in the years that preceded the creation of the department, 168 police officers were laid off and crime rose.

“When the Camden FOP would not negotiate severe cuts in their current contract with the City for their remaining officers, local leaders went to the State for approval to disband the Department,” the PBA said in a statement issued on Monday. “The result was a deal to layoff every remaining Camden Police Officer, transfer policing of the City to the County and use of tens of millions in State funds to pay for the new force.”

“Camden County does not have a countywide police department,” Colligan told the President. “These officers never leave Camden and no other town in Camden County has asked for the County to patrol their communities.”

Colligan went on to claim that the Camden County Police Department is underreporting or misreporting its crime activity to make it seem as though crime in Camden is decreasing.

“You don’t need to be a criminology expert to know that more cops means less crime but, even with increased staffing from rookies with less experience than the officers the County laid off, the numbers in Camden don’t tell the whole story,” Colligan said in the letter. “Camden County laid off experienced officers, many close to retirement, but chose to retain and give a $67,000 raise to its Chief whose failure of leadership led to the understaffing and crime spike to begin with.”

The PBA said that while tens of millions of dollars are being sent by the State to Camden County to pay for the department, other cities are being deprived of needed resources.

He cited Atlantic City’s recent fiscal troubles as an example.

“I am urging you to look closely at what is really going on in Camden and to not allow yourself to be used to perpetuate a myth that is now being spread throughout New Jersey that the easiest way to cut crime is to lay off hard working police officers, dramatically cut their pay and benefits and manipulate crime stats,” Colligan concluded.

“Camden is one of those places where they have been able to rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and the community they serve .. and bridge the gap that once existed of deep divide and deep distrust,” Schultz said.

Obama is in Camden today to discuss the establishment of new guidelines concerning the acquisition of surplus military equipment by local law enforcement agencies through a federally funded program.

The president said Camden was chosen to make the announcement because of the efforts by the police department to decrease crime.

He will also tour Camden County Police Headquarters and meet with members of the community.